


No Laughing Matter

by fauxpromises



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Embarrassment, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 11:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2386628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fauxpromises/pseuds/fauxpromises
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her admonition ended abruptly as his laughter died off with what she didn't dare believe was a snort. Her suspicion was confirmed when he fell silent at once. By the time she started to grin widely in smug amusement, his ears had turned slightly red.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Laughing Matter

"Hey, uh—are you okay?"

As he tilted his head slightly to look over at her, she immediately felt her throat constrict with nervousness. His blue eyes appeared gray in the rainy overcast weather; they had paused in their thievery today when the gloomy clouds overhead finally culminated in a downpour. A sheltered alleyway became their temporary haven until the intensity lessened enough to allow them to make their way home.

Nearly a full minute passed before he formed a response, covering up any of his own discomfort with a glib tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The Bostonian shrugged noncommittally. "You're just always so quiet. I dunno how to take that, y'know? Thought maybe you were mad at me."

"Just because I don't say a lot doesn't mean anything's wrong," he smirked, though now his gaze was wandering again toward the street, where the rain still beat upon the pavement. "Much less that I'm mad at you. Why are you so worried about me, anyway?"

At this she faltered again, running her fingers back through her hair in a rather brusque fashion. "Ah, well. A few days ago..."

"Yes?"

"...I mean, we did kiss, didn't we? I'm not just gonna let you ditch me after that." She added this last part with some force, as though to cover up the more vulnerable sound of the former statement.

His expression remained calm. She had expected him to somehow mock her for what she said, but instead he appeared anxious beneath the stoic pretenses.

"Ditch? I'm not familiar with—"

In an instant her face had started to redden. Whether it was with anger, embarrassment, or some combination of the two, she wasn't entirely sure herself. "Oh, c'mon, I know ya ain't stupid. You know what I'm sayin'. I meant ya can't just walk away and expect me to forget anything happened with us, and—"

When she glanced up at him, she immediately noticed that he had quirked an eyebrow in confusion. When he chuckled softly again, it became clear that he was not confused so much as he was amused.

"I never planned to ditch you, Kathryn."

The warmth that had dared enter her expression disappeared in a flash as he continued with another devious smile. "You're much too valuable to my business, after all."

"Jerk!" she spat back, a light smack on the arm drawing a vaguely repentant wince from him. "Who the hell d'you think you are playin' with my feelings like that? I was bein' serious, too." She added the last part in an almost sulky tone.

He clucked his tongue in quiet disapproval. Evidently, he hadn't quite gotten his fill of antagonizing her. "Such a hot-headed American girl."

"Ain't I always just a stupid American girl when you get like this?" Her arms were folded now, pulled up to her chest. She noticed with some irritation that the rain was coming down harder outside of their temporary cover. A shame, too, because she was just about ready to stomp off home by herself just to make a point.

For a few moments neither of them said a word. She had cast her eyes over to the back of the alleyway where a few empty trash bins were situated. Her guess was that he was still looking the opposite way, out to the street. Always toward an escape, no matter what the situation called for.

"I just thought you did it 'cause...well, why do I have to spell it out? Didya want us to be more than whatever the hell it is we are now?" She tapped the heel of her shoe anxiously against the brick wall behind them. "Or are you just messin' with me like always again?"

It was his turn to falter, much to her delight. His eyes remained away from hers when she glanced over at him, his shoulders hunched a bit as he leaned against the wall beside her. He feigned a cough to stall his response.

"There's no reason to be so insulted," the Frenchman responded at last, his voice slow and even. Purposeful would have been how she might have described it. "I mean—forgive me for being impulsive, perhaps. But not insincere."

She felt his blue eyes on her, hesitating for a moment before glancing up. The intensity of his gaze wavered a bit once they were locked with one another, but he seemed to make a point of not shirking the responsibility of remaining steadfast. That was an odd and out of place trait of his that didn't quite match with the petty thievery and casual cynic attitude.

"Your company is enjoyable, to be honest. It's not often that I've met anyone on my level, intellectually speaking. I would certainly like for us to be more—that is, if I wasn't already promised to another."

He spoke this last sentence so blithely that she could almost feel the color draining from her face. "What?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's quite serious," he came back just as smoothly, a fond and almost dreamy smile on his face. "Dark hair, beautiful eyes, a smile to die for—everything I could ask for, really."

"I—you never—"

She paused, the stammer in her voice immediately causing her to cease for fear of embarrassing herself further, but the angry indignation began to follow before she could adequately think of a response. As she clenched her fist at her side, he had already burst into laughter.

And at this, the anger and humiliation and self-righteousness took a back seat to genuine bewilderment.

Not once had she ever, ever seen him laugh.

Smirk, yes. Devious smirks came in spades from him. But not laughing.

"I'm—oh, god—sorry. Truly," he managed through his fit of laughing. "I couldn't help it. I wanted to see how you'd react."

She scowled, too embarrassed to appreciate the indirect compliment he had been giving her. So it was an ego thing. How utterly predictable of him. "Yeah, well, you can forget about whatever it is you were—"

Her admonition ended abruptly as his laughter died off with what she didn't dare believe was a snort. Her suspicion was confirmed when he fell silent at once. By the time she started to grin widely in smug amusement, his ears had turned slightly red.

"You just...you snorted, didn't you?" She giggled with sadistic victory, giving him another light shove. "Oh—is that why you don't ever laugh?"

He shook his head furiously. "No, I'm just not an easily amused buffoon who laughs at every ridiculous—"

"Hah! That is it, ain't it! You're..." She stopped for a moment, still laughing quietly. Her long lashes hid her brown eyes as she closed them momentarily, collecting herself. When she began again, it wasn't with a taunting tone so much as one of plain fact. "You're embarrassed. I almost ain't even mad at you anymore. I guess you sorta win then."

His ears still burned red as she leaned over, one hand reaching out to close over his where it rested against the bricks. "Never going to let me live that down then, are you?"

She shook her head, though she wasn't sure if he saw it while his eyes were now lazily observing where her fingers had intertwined with his. "It's cute, if y'ask me. You didn't ask me, of course, but I'm givin' my opinion anyway."

He chose to respond with just a begrudging "hmph" of irritation. But whether it would be because of her approval or because he so loved to revel in the misfortune of the victims of his victims, she had the creeping suspicion that he would be laughing that laugh a lot more often in the near future.


End file.
